She wasn't supposed to be the main character. In the pilot episode of Showtime’s Yellowjackets, Laura Lee—played with a jarring, brittle sincerity by Jane Widdop—feels like a background trope. She’s the "God girl." The one who prays while the others party. But by the time her story arc hits its fiery crescendo in season one, it’s clear she was the moral compass the group didn't know they needed. Honestly, watching her journey back now feels like looking at a different show entirely.
Laura Lee is the catalyst. Without her, the descent into cannibalism and occultism might have happened differently, or maybe not at all. She represents the last gasp of organized, civilized faith before the girls trade the Bible for the "Antler Queen."
The Flight That Changed Everything for Laura Lee
Let's talk about that plane. Most fans remember the crash, but the second flight—the one involving a rusted-out Cessna and a girl with a dream of salvation—is where the real heartbreak lives. Laura Lee decides she’s going to fly the group out of the wilderness. It’s insane. It’s a suicide mission.
Yet, she does it. She reads the manual. She prays. She believes.
📖 Related: Why 2010 Disney TV Shows Were the Last Gasp of a Golden Era
You’ve gotta admire the sheer audacity of a teenager teaching herself aerodynamics in a Canadian forest while her friends are literally starving to death. When the plane actually lifts off the water, for a split second, you think she’s going to make it. You think the show might actually allow a miracle.
Then the teddy bear catches fire.
The combustion of Leonard the bear is one of the most debated moments in the series. Was it a mechanical failure? A supernatural intervention by the "Entity" in the woods? Or just the cruel reality of a vintage aircraft that hadn't been maintained in decades? Regardless of the "why," the result was the same: a mid-air explosion that shattered the group’s hope.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her Faith
A lot of viewers write her off as a religious caricature. That’s a mistake. Laura Lee isn't just some holier-than-thou stereotype; she’s remarkably brave. Think about the baptism scene with Lottie. In that moment, she isn't judging Lottie for her visions. She’s trying to provide a framework—a language—to help Lottie cope with what’s happening in her head.
Yellowjackets does this clever thing where it pits faith against survival.
Laura Lee is the only one who refuses to let go of her internal North Star. While the others are devolving into tribalism, she’s focused on the literal heavens. It’s interesting to note that her death is what finally breaks the seal on the supernatural elements of the show. Once she’s gone, there’s no one left to provide a rational (or traditionally religious) explanation for the weirdness. Lottie is left rudderless, and we see how quickly that turns into a cult.
The Relationship with Lottie Matthews
If you look closely at their dynamic, Laura Lee was basically Lottie's tether to the "real" world. She didn't see Lottie as a monster or a prophet. She saw her as a friend who needed God.
When Laura Lee dies, Lottie loses her protector.
📖 Related: Kanye West My Way: What Most People Get Wrong
This is where the show gets dark. Really dark. Without Laura Lee's influence, Lottie's "visions" are no longer interpreted as spiritual gifts to be channeled through prayer. They become commands from the wilderness. You can draw a direct line from the explosion of that Cessna to the ritualistic killings that happen later in the timeline.
Why Jane Widdop’s Performance Worked
Widdop brought a specific kind of 90s earnestness to the role. It wasn't "cool." It wasn't cynical. In a show defined by 90s "too cool to care" attitudes, Laura Lee cared way too much. That’s why her death sticks. It’s the death of sincerity.
The way she looked at the cockpit—half-terrified, half-transfigured—is haunting.
The Impact on the 2021 Timeline
You might wonder why a character who died in 1996 still matters to the adult versions of Shauna, Taissa, and Natalie. It’s because she represents their failure. They let her get on that plane. They watched her burn.
In the modern-day storyline, we see the survivors still grappling with the guilt of who they left behind. Laura Lee isn't just a ghost; she's a reminder of a time when they still believed they could be rescued. Once she was gone, they stopped waiting for a plane and started trying to survive the woods on the woods' terms.
- The Ghostly Visions: In season two, we see Laura Lee again, but it’s a distorted, terrifying version of her. This proves that her memory is a trauma trigger for the survivors.
- The "Leonard" Symbolism: Fans still spot teddy bears and fire motifs throughout the series, constantly nodding back to her exit.
- The Moral Vacuum: Every time the survivors do something horrific, the absence of a "moral" character like Laura Lee is felt.
The Real-World Science of the Crash
Could a Cessna 172 actually explode like that?
If we’re being realistic, small planes are notoriously fickle when they’ve been sitting for years. Fuel lines degrade. Rubber seals rot. The idea that a teenage girl could get a bird like that into the air is the "stretch" the show asks of us. But the explosion? That’s entirely plausible. Old fuel is unstable. A spark in the engine compartment, a leak near the seat—it doesn't take much.
The tragedy isn't just that she died; it's that she was right. She almost did it.
✨ Don't miss: I Don't Love You Lyrics: Why This My Chemical Romance Heartbreak Still Hits Different
How to Re-watch Her Arc Like an Expert
If you’re planning a series re-watch, keep an eye on how the lighting changes around Laura Lee. In the early episodes, she’s often bathed in soft, almost angelic light. As the food runs out and the winter approaches, her scenes get harsher, colder.
Observe her interactions with Jackie, too. Jackie is the "Queen Bee" of the social hierarchy, but Laura Lee is the only one who doesn't seem to care about social standing. She treats the benchwarmers and the stars the same. That’s a level of character consistency that’s rare in teen dramas.
Understanding the Legacy of Laura Lee
Ultimately, Laura Lee’s story is about the danger of hope. She was the only character who truly believed in a "way out" that didn't involve bloodshed. Her death served as the ultimate "point of no return" for the Yellowjackets.
To get the most out of her narrative impact, focus on these key takeaways:
- Analyze the Lottie/Laura Dynamic: Watch season one again specifically focusing on how Laura Lee validates Lottie’s experiences. It changes how you view Lottie’s eventual "possession."
- Track the Religious Imagery: From the cross she wears to the baptism, the show uses her to contrast "Old World" religion with the "New World" paganism of the forest.
- Contrast the Two "Leaders": Compare Laura Lee’s leadership (based on sacrifice and faith) with Jackie’s (based on status) and eventually Natalie’s (based on pragmatism).
For fans who want to dive deeper into the lore, look for the parallels between Laura Lee's flight and the original crash that stranded the team. Both involved a failure of technology and a sudden, violent end to a journey. The difference is that while the first crash was an accident, the second felt like a sacrifice.
By keeping these details in mind, you’ll see that Laura Lee wasn't just a side character who died early; she was the soul of the show's first season. Her departure left a void that the characters—and the audience—are still trying to fill with something much darker.